The Shadows of Fate
by Draygon Milkandal
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 6th year of wizarding school, and finds that the truth may not be what it seems.
1. The Beginning

Chapter 1: Prelude to Darkness  
  
Harry lifted his head and awoke to the sound of his alarm clock buzzing. It was once again his birthday and once again no one at Privet Drive cared. To them it was just another day in the year to only live through. Suddenly Hedwig screeched loudly, which almost made Harry jump.  
"Will you shut up that ruddy owl?!" Screamed uncle Vernon.  
"Shhhh." Harry then opened the cage and the window and let Hedwig fly outside. Harry quickly got dressed and opened the door to his room, not to his surprise was Uncle Vernon Standing there red-faced and seeming very upset.  
"I told you to keep the ruddy owl QUIET!" he yelled at Harry.  
"I suggest that you be a little more quiet yourself, after all you don't want the order coming in here thinking I am in danger, do you?" Harry smirked at his uncle. Harry grinned wider as he saw his uncle's face become distorted with anger, but no way to vent it at Harry. He slowly turned around and walked back downstairs, mumbling as he went.  
When Harry arrived downstairs, his Aunt had already started cooking breakfast for her "little" Dudley. Except there was one slight problem, Dudley was not so little anymore, with the diet that never works in place, it seemed that Dudley had reached the size of a Mammoth Tank. Harry was no longer afraid of him thou, because thanks to the order, Dudley didn't even step 5 feet near Harry the entire summer. Harry walked into the room and Dudley stood up strait as an arrow and tried to slowly back away from Harry.  
"Hello Dudley." Harry grinned at Dudley, "Are you still hungry?" Dudley quickly shook his head no and then bolted out of the room. Harry chuckled for a little while and then sat down at the table and started eating his breakfast.  
"Harry don't pick on Dudley like that! If you keep that up I will have to."  
"Have to what my dear Aunt?" Harry grinned. His Aunt was just about to open her mouth when an owl flew into the kitchen, in which cause absolute chaos. After it was done creating it's ruckus it landed on the table in front of Harry and it pecked at him to remove the letter tied to its leg.  
"Get the filthy thing out of here!" Screamed Harry's aunt. Harry shrugged, collected the letter, and let the owl free outside. He took the letter upstairs and opened it. Inside was the standard school letter, with his list of new books to collect. With the school letter was 2 other letters, one from Ron and the other from Hermione. Harry grinned when he read them both rather quickly, due to his excitement.  
  
Harry,  
Things are rather the same around here, aside from the fact that the order and the ministry have been working my Dad to the bone lately. Ginny is okay, and well Percy still keeps from talking to the family. Fred and George have gotten their busness noticed in a big way. I think soon they are going to go world wide. Well, are you still going to meet me and Hermione at Diagon Alley? Just send me the letter back, cause Hermione is here with her fokes. Dads gone nuts with 2 muggles in the Burrow with us. He keeps asking them all kinds of questions, I am not sure how long they are going to put up with him. Well anyway, we can't wait to see you again,  
Ron Weasley  
  
Dear Harry,  
My summer has been rather boring, but I did find out my exam scores. I got all Outstandings! I was told I could possibly go into any field I want to. I also found out your scores too, you did well in most of your classes, they are going to let you take the classes you need to become an Auror. The best of luck to you Harry. See you soon,  
Hermione Granger  
  
Harry grinned as he looked at his class schedule,  
  
Advanced Defense against the Dark Arts ( no teacher has yet to fill this position)  
Advanced Potions Professor Severus Snape  
Advanced Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall  
Advanced Care of Magical Creatures Haggrid  
  
~end~  
  
Hey sorry that this chapter is a little long, but I had a lot of info to put down. LOL. I am going to try to put at least one chapter a week up on here, so if I miss a week no one kill me okay? Oh and by the way for all those who are wondering what house I am in, I am proud to say I am a Slytherin. Now I will leave you all to your reviews, and due write them. I do like to know what others think so far, and maybe I might take an idea or two from others. 


	2. Friends and Rumors

I neglected to do the whole disclaimer thing. so I better do it now eh? Oh and about chapter one, my computer messed up so It only uploaded the first page and the last one. something about contamination. who knows. it was just all very aggravating. so I worked the rest into the second chapter. LOL. And for you people who are expecting this to be a happy story. I will warn ya. its not going to be. it just seems that way now. just wait. muahahaha. I have my plans for these people. After all I am a Slytherin. Now I don't mind reviews here, and maybe some guesses on what is going to happen eh?  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the Characters from that story. I do own Draygon, and a few other characters that are not in the books unless stated otherwise.  
  
Chapter 2: Friends and Rumors  
  
Harry quickly packed his Trunk, put Hedwig into her cage and pulled out his wand. He walked carefully over to a small bag that had been hanging on the wall all summer. He had been given this bag, from Mrs. Weasley. It was a bag of Floo powder, so that he could get to Diagon Alley when the summer was over. Harry smirked and raised his want at his belongings, "Locamotor Trunk". His belongings slowly floated about a foot off the ground and followed Harry as he walked down the stairs towards the fireplace.  
Uncle Vernon stood up red faced, "Where do you think you are going?!"  
Harry simply replied "To Hogwarts, I have to go back to school."  
At this reply, Uncle Vernon's face became even redder, "I told you never to mention that place in this house!"  
Harry shrugged, walked into the fireplace, and readied the floo power. "Then don't listen then", Harry spoke as his raised his hand and his stuff joined him in the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!"  
  
~X~  
  
The World spun around wildly, and Harry landed in the middle of the inn at Diagon Alley. Several people looked to see what the commotion was, and when they saw who it was several people quickly walked over to him. Harry shook their hands in turn, he had gotten quite use to the fame and he was prepared wherever he went for it. He went over to the Tom, the innkeeper.  
"Good Morning Mr. Potter, are you interested in a room until your friends come here?"  
"Yes, I am. How much will it cost me for 2 days?"  
"Let me see, that will be 3 Gallons, and 4sickles."  
Harry pulled out the amount and handed it to the innkeeper. He then walked up the stairs and proceeded to the room he usually took at that time, but it seemed there was another person standing in there. The person was in a hood and cloak and moved to look what had walked into the room very slowly.  
"Ummm. Sorry sir." Harry stammered. Suddenly the words "It is quite alright, come in and stay, I am guessing they let you rent this room as well." appeared in the air in front of Harry. Harry shook his head for a second, not believing what he had just seen, and then he looked at the cloaked figure more carefully. It stood at almost his height, but it did not show anything to help Harry figure out anything other than that. The words slowly burned away and new ones appeared, "there is another bed you know, you can stay there if you like. All I ask is that you leave me alone, and you don't make any efforts to see what I look like. If you obey these rules, they I have no problem sharing a room with the 'great Harry Potter'." Harry just stood there for a few minutes trying to grasp the situation and then he quickly stammered. "Okay, sure I have no problem with that."  
The cloaked figured simply nodded and went behind a curtain that seemed to have been erected up in order to hide the bed's view from any peering eyes that would try to see the bed, let alone what was on the bed. Harry shrugged and unpacked a few things that he would need while he stayed in Diagon Alley. He walked down the stairs and proceeded to go shopping for the materials he would need for the up coming year. As he shopped he passed by Knockturn Alley, he remembered it all too well, due to the fact that in his second year he was found in it by Hagrid and then people believed he was the heir of Slytherin. He nodded, yes, things where rather chaotic that year and he hoped that another one just like was not coming his way. His train of thought was interrupted by the cloaked figure he had met earlier walk down in Knockturn Alley and the people who usually resided in that part of town seemed to do everything in their power to move out of the cloaked figure's way, like he was the carrier of the plague or something like that. One man snickered at the figure, quickly without warning a gloved hand shot out from under the cloak and grasped the man's throat and slowly started to squeeze it tightly. The man choked out an apology and when the glove released him he ran as fast as he could from the figure.  
Harry made a mental note not to ever get the cloaked figure angry. He walked back to the inn when he was done shopping; he got his dinner, and then went to bed. The next morning he woke up to Hedwig pecking at his hand, having a letter tied to her leg. He got up slowly and pulled the letter off of Hedwig's leg. "Okay! Okay! Calm down Hedwig, I got it now, you can go hunt again." The snowy white owl hooted and flew out the window. Harry then looked down at the letter, it was in a handwriting he didn't recognize right off, and he slowly opened the letter and looked at it.  
  
Dear Harry,  
I have missed you quite a bit, I am sorry that I have not written to you as much as I wanted to. I just wanted to say, I like you Harry. I do want to go out with you, and I do want you to like me. I think you do like me quite a bit Harry, or you would have never kissed me last year. Well I will see you at the school; maybe we can have a better chat then.  
  
Love,  
Cho  
  
For a second Harry thought he was still dreaming, but then he realized that he was fully awake, and that something wonderful happened to him. Then it occurred to him now that he will have to ask Cho to be his girlfriend, or did she just ask him to be her boyfriend, it was all rather confusing.  
"Hey Harry! Are you awake yet!" a loud booming, but familiar voice resounded threw the room.  
"Hagrid!" Harry jumped up and launched himself into Hagrid's large arms. "I missed you Hagrid."  
"Well thank you Harry, so what have you been up to? Oh sorry." Hagrid cut short do to the cloaked figure appearing from behind his curtain. "Umm, Harry who's this guy?"  
"This guy also rented this room, but I don't know his name" Harry responded slowly.  
Just as Harry had finished that sentence the words "You don't know, because you never asked Harry" appeared in mid air. "If you insist thou, my name is Draygon."  
"Draygon eh? No last name huh?" Hagrid stated loudly.  
More words appeared "I have one; I just don't care to give it out currently" and then slowly disappeared.  
"I see, you don't talk much do you? Well never mind that, come Harry, your friends are waiting for you." Hagrid stated as he squeezed threw the door. Harry nodded and followed the large man threw the inn and outside where his friends where waiting.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione screamed happily as she jumped into Harry. Ron just smiled and shook his head.  
"Hey Harry, she gave me a different greeting. Well that's because we are." Hermione slapped Ron in the back of the head and he turned to her. "Hey! That hurt!"  
"And it serves you right, I told you to keep quite about that for now." Harry looked at his friends with a little confusion and then shrugged.  
"So have you guys gotten your supplies yet?" Harry asked Hermione.  
"Yes we have, have you heard about the new DADA teacher yet?" Ron interjected.  
Harry shook his head, "I assumed Snape would become the new teacher, he has wanted that job for so long. Now that he has proven himself, I think he just might get it."  
Ron shook with fear "I hope he doesn't; you know how he treats us Harry."  
Harry nodded in agreement with his friend. He knew Snape would play favoritism with the Slytherins, especially Malfoy.  
Hermione smiled, "Harry I got a letter from Krum. You remember the seeker from Drumstrang?"  
Harry nodded, "What did he say"  
Hermione looked a little worried, "I don't know if I should tell you"  
Ron shook his head, "Then why even bring it up?"  
"Well, I don't know. I just, oh, alright. He says that some strange things have been going on up there. He is not sure if it is the work of you- know-who, or if it is just something totally random, but Harry, he doesn't like the smell of it." Hermione whispered.  
"Codswollup!" Hagrid boomed, "It's just something random I bet. Lets get along now, all you better rest up for the train tomorrow. Meanwhile I have other Hogwarts business to attend to."  
"Goodbye Hagrid!" the three students yelled at once. 


	3. Train of Dreams

Sorry it took so long to write this, I had thanksgiving, and a few other things take up my time, so I didn't get to get around to this.  
  
Chapter 3- Train of Dreams  
  
Footsteps, that is all Harry could hear in the infinite blackness. Harry kept walking forward, looking for something, anything that could be in this darkness with him; making these footsteps. He suddenly found himself in the halls of Hogwarts, he looked around slowly and he noticed something. None of the pictures had people in them anymore, the halls where completely empty of anything that could even be considered close to a person.  
"Is anyone here?!" yelled Harry. The only thing Harry got in a response was his own echo. Harry was starting to worry; all this did not feel right at all. "It must be a dream; yes that is it, a dream." Harry mumbled to himself.  
"Yes Harry Potter, you are dreaming." Came a feminine voice that Harry did not recognize from behind him.  
Harry quickly turned to see a woman about his age, looking at him with a smirk on her face. She wore flowing black pants with red snakes along the sides, a black halter top with the words "I leave bite marks" in blood red on the front, and she had a necklace with a silver snake that had skeleton like wings. Her long black hair with green highlights flowed down her back, her blue with swirls of black eyes examined Harry with a cold calculating gaze. Suddenly the eyes of the snake on her necklace flashed a green color for only a second.  
"Who are you?" Harry asked in confusion.  
"Does it really matter Potter?" She responded, "I don't think you really need to know, after all, does it seem important right now?"  
"Yes, it does" Harry retorted.  
"Call me a dream, for that is all I am right now to you. Now, can we get to the task at hand?" The girl smirked.  
"And what would that be?" Harry spoke a little annoyed.  
"Why making sure you get out of this little nightmare alive. After all I do want to meet you in real life one day. I think it would be rather interesting, don't you think so?" The young woman smirked slowly.  
"How can a dream kill me?" Harry thought back, he remember that he had dreams that where very dangerous, but none of them where able to kill him. *Dreams are dreams are they not?* Harry thought to himself.  
"Very easily I am afraid; they can trap you in their web for eternity and cause you to die very slowly. It is not pretty I am afraid, but that's the way things are sometimes." Her grin on that last sentence scared Harry. He wondered what this girl really wanted, and what she would do to get it. "Shall we get going? You have places to go, things to see after all." She looked at her watch and frowned, "It looks like our time is up, and you have to wake up now. You don't want to miss your train now do you?"  
Harry was about to ask her how she knew that, but a sudden flash of light quickly engulfed him and the strange young woman. Harry shot up out of his bed and found himself in his room at the inn. *What was that?* Harry thought to himself. Harry's train of thought was interrupted by Ron's pounding on the door.  
"Harry! Get up! It is time to go to the train! Get dressed and meet us down at the front of the inn! Hurry up!" Ron yelled threw the door. Harry gathered his things, being careful not to disturb the cloaked man.  
"Locamotor trunk." The trunk slowly lifted off the ground and proceeded to float behind Harry. Harry walked down the stairs and out the front door, where he saw the Weasleys, and the Grangers standing there waiting for Harry. "Sorry it took so long."  
"Well, come on everyone. We have to hurry, we have a train to catch you know." Mrs. Weasley stated rather quickly. The group speedily followed Mrs. Weasley to the series of cars that waited to take them to Platform 9 and ¾. While riding in the car he got to ask Mrs. Weasley how they had gotten these cars. "Well, Harry dear, they are from the order. I guess they want to keep protecting you, especially since you-know-who is back." Mrs. Weasley shook at that final sentence. Harry knew that people where deathly afraid of Voldemort and for good reason. He was the most deadly wizard ever, but luckily not the most powerful.  
The cars slowly came to a stop and the doors opened. Harry looked out to see the train station, they way it usually was, busy as ever. Harry stepped out of the car and followed everyone to the barrier. The group quickly went threw and boarded the train as fast as they could. The Weasley boys and girls hugged their parents' goodbye and waved to them as the train pulled away.  
Harry was traveling down threw the cars to find a place to sit when he saw someone very familiar. Cho was sitting in a car with someone else, but he just couldn't see them yet. Harry knocked on the door and walked in slowly. "Hello Cho." Harry spoke quietly.  
Cho turned towards Harry and smiled, "Hello Harry how was your summer?"  
"Good and yours?" Harry smiled nervously  
"It was good; did you get my, letter?" Cho said carefully.  
Harry was quiet for a min, "Yes I did."  
Cho looked very uncomfortable for a while. The car was very quiet for a short while.  
"Why don't you two just admit to each other, face to face, that you like each other?" spoke up a voice that sounded very familiar. Harry looked around Cho and his jaw dropped. Sitting next to Cho was the young woman from the dream just had the night before. Cho looked at the young woman in surprise. "It is what you two should do; now if you will excuse me, I must be going." With that, the young woman got up and walked out of the room on the train.  
"Who was that Cho?" Harry asked still in shock.  
"Oh, that is a transfer student from the US. She said her name is Rebecca Slythe. Anyway, she is right." Cho stood up and walked over to Harry. Harry looked around nervously. "Harry I like you, a lot." She moved up next to Harry, and then looked him in the eye. Harry was unsure on what he should do, and then he just closed his eyes and kissed Cho. Harry liked the feeling, but he pulled away quickly.  
"Cho, I am sorry. I didn't mean to." Harry stammered.  
"Harry, its okay. It felt good." Cho smiled. Just then the door busted open, and standing in it was Ron, Hermione, and Ginny; all of them where smiling like Christmas had come early. Harry and Cho blushed a deep red color which caused everyone to burst out laughing. Everyone sat down and began talking about the classes they were about to take, their OWLs and how well they did on them.  
Suddenly Ginny screamed as a figure in a black cloak appeared at the door. "It's a dementor!" Harry quickly pulled out his wand as did Ron and Hermione. The door slowly opened and Harry opened his mouth to cast the Patronus spell.  
Suddenly the words "I would put down those wands if I was you." Appeared in the air in the middle of the room, and slowly dissipated away. Harry nodded and lowered his wand, Ron and Hermione did this as well when they saw Harry do it.  
Harry stood up, "This is Draygon, he shared a room with me at the inn. He doesn't talk at all, and he doesn't like others to see him. That is why he is covered in that black cloak." Ron nodded, and slowly started to smile. Hermione grinned a little but still seemed nervous, Cho just stood behind Harry, and Ginny still sat in her seat shaking a little. "Anyway we will be getting to the school soon, so we better get ready." Harry said to break the silence. Everyone agreed and went to their separate cars to change.  
The train slowly came to a stop and the students piled out of the train, to begin their next year at Hogwarts. Some thought that this year was going to be a very special year, while others just thought it was going to be another year. Soon fate will show them who was right on their initial guess. 


	4. The Feast

Hey people, I am sorry it is taking me so long, but I have been rather distracted recently. So please forgive me from keeping my promise of a chapter a week, I am going to try to get one on when I can for those who read this little story... LOL. Signed Keeper of the Darkness  
  
Chapter 4- New and Old Things  
  
The wind howled when the students stepped off the train as if it was tring to tell them to stay away. Harry pulled his cloak in tighter around him as did many of the other students. Harry saw Hagrid marching towards the group, he knew that he had come to take the 1st years to the castle. Harry just waved at him and start to move towards the carrages, then he noticed Rebecca Slythe stepping into a carrage with Draco Malfloy and his two henchmen, Crabbie and Goyle. He looked a little closer and he saw that Rebecca was smiling and so was Draco. Harry just shrugged and stepped into the carrage with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. The carrage lurched forward and they where off towards the castle. Everyone kept the blinds shut, so that the weather outside would not get into the carrage and soak everyone.  
The carrage came to a stop and everyone piled out of them and walked into the main hall of the castle. This year there where all sorts of decorations and it seemed like Headmaster Dumbledor was tring to keep everyone's spirits up with these fine decorations. Lets hope that this year is better than the last. Harry thought to himself. He took his seat and he waited for the sorting ceremony to begin. Ron and Hermione where talking to each other occasionally saying something to Harry, but Hermione did say something that did catch Harry's attention.  
"Harry, what is does that Draygon guy look like?"  
"Huh? Oh, I don't know. He always kept that hood on."  
"Do you think that it could be, you know who?" Ron whispered.  
Harry shook his head, "My scar would have been in pain if it was him."  
Ron looked to the teacher's table and his eyes shot wide open. "I think we better take a look at our new proffessor."  
Hermione and Harry quickly turned their heads towards the teacher's table and saw the a man in black and gold robes, his long black hair rollled down his back and he was sitting at the table apparently talking to professor Snape.  
The door suddenly burst open and the 1st years piled in slowly, all of them looking very nervous. They all moved towards the front of the room and at the head of the pack was Rebecca Slythe, she did not have her uniform on. Maybe she didn't get one. Harry thought to himself. Professor McGonagal pulled out her parchment slowly and started calling 1st years up to the hat. The line slowly went down until it reached Rebecca Slythe, she slowly walked towards the hat and sat down. Professor McGonagal slowly placed the hat ontop of her her and the hat looked confused for a moment and then quickly shouted, "Sytherian!" The Sytherian table started to shout very loudly how they got the transfer student. The line thinned down to only a few remained. Both young women looked rather off, for some reason, one was very pale and looked to be alittle sick. The other had black hair with silver stripes down threw her hair and she stared at the hat intently with her violet eyes. When they both where put to the test of the hat, it repeated the same house twice, "Sytherian!"  
Harry looked at Ron and they both shrugged. Not much was known about the new students, so the hat must know best right? Dumbledore slowly stood up and tapped the end of his wand on the table infront of him. " Please could i have you attention?" Everyone in the hall silenced, "Thank you, i would like to welcome you to annother year at Hogwarts. There are a few annoucements that must be made before you leave for your dormitories. One, we are proud to present to you our new Defense agaist the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Darmoon." The group clapped slowly as the new teacher stood and bowed slowly. We would also would like to introduce our new department, the Department of Security on our campus. He would like to be only called Draygon." Dumbledore motioned to a man in a black cloak. Harry's, Ron's, Hermone's,Ginny's and Cho's jaws dropped as the man step forward, the whole hall was silent with shock, slowly the words, "I thank you for your welcome" appeared in the air. Harry looked and Ron and Hermone tring to see if they where going to say anything, but it seemed the whole group was too stunned to say anything. The man in the black cloak stepped back and stood in a dark corner.  
"Other announcements, It is to be known that the dark forest is strickly forbidden. The Whomping willow is also forbidden to go near, unless you wish a quick trip to Maddam Promfey." The students chuckled, Harry looked at Ron, for they both knew that what the whomping willow accutally protected. In their third year they both took a trip under the willow to reach the Shreaking Shack in Hogsmead, where Lupin hid while he was a werewolf. It was also the first time he met Seris Black, Harry's Uncle. Harry's heart ached slightly, he had not forgotten what had happened the night his uncle died. The vision of that death still haunted his dreams to this day and that proficy. He was the death of Voldemort? He was still very confused on many things, hopefully he could talk to Dumbledore could answer a few things better this year than he could after what happened.  
The dinner went on as it normally did, the students and teachers ate their dinners, talking about random things. Harry noticed durring the entire time he was at the feast, that Draygon did not touch one bit of food. He stood in the dark corner behind the teachers for the entire feast and watched the room. It was like he was expecting some monster to come out of the front door and that he would have to kill it.  
The feast ended and the perfects lead their houses to their dormatories, Ron and Herminone led the Griffendor house to the painting of the fat lady, "Herionus Dracton" Ron slowly said to the painting, it nodded and then opened up to the dorms for the students. Harry and Ron slowly trudged up the stairs and fell onto their beds.  
"Bloody hell, Harry. This day wore me out, how about you Harry?" Ron said while slowly turning over.  
"Yeah, it drained me too. I swear if i was any more tiard i would think that Draygon was a dementor." Harry said while chuckling at his own joke.  
Ron joined in the chuckle, "Yeah, i know. What is with him anyway? He always wears that hood, I wonder why he does? Do you think he is ugly or hiddously scarred or something, and does not want others to see it?"  
Harry shrugged, "Maybe, anyway, I am going to goto bed, G'night Ron."  
"Sweet dreams Harry."  
Unfortunatly, Harry's dreams where not that sweet at all. All he saw that night was the death of his uncle over and over again, like someone hit the repeat button on a CD. Harry did not sleep well at all that night.  
  
End of Chapter 4 


End file.
